Educating yourself in film is an often perilous task. There\u2019s always the knowledge that life is finite, and you\u2019ll never end up seeing every corner stone of cinema history. The obvious question is: \u201cDo I need to, and why?\u201d<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s talk about this idea of finally setting aside the time to \u201cwatch the classics.\u201d I always found the idea of watching a film out of obligation dangerous. There\u2019s the baggage of expectation; there have been so many times in which I\u2019ve sat down to watch an important film and been left wanting more.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also the familiar dread of putting off a homework assignment until the deadline smacks you in the face. \u201cI know I should watch ‘Birth of a Nation,’\u201d I would say, \u201cBut do I have to do it now?\u201d<\/p>\n
A year ago I decided to start taking my role of film watcher seriously. This included keeping a \u201cfilm log,\u201d researching the background of every movie I watched, and trying to do more than just passively zone out. This was a quest to move beyond the shallow surface of \u201centertainment\u201d and deeply study the medium.<\/p>\n
This proved to be a humbling experience, as I was forced to deeply consider my choices and ask questions such as:<\/p>\n
The decision to study the classics has to be organic. I would liken it to an architect who decides to study the foundation of his favorite building.<\/p>\n
Piles of film books began to appear around my house. Biographies of filmmakers, critical texts, and a few \u201chow to\u201d books about film study. I didn\u2019t take any of them at face value, but instead used whatever information I gained on an as-needed basis. Then I started to make a patchwork list of what to watch next. (When I say \u201clist,\u201d I mean a large, extensive, and very flexible Netflix queue.)<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a concrete example of my process: I read about the important of Francois Truffaut \u201cThe 400 Blows.\u201d Every pocket film book will tell the same tale: \u201cThe 400 Blows\u201d is one of the seminal films of the French New Wave (low budget, non-narrative, highly personal). Depending on the book, you might get a little more about why the movie was essentially an autobiographical work for Truffaut. The central character in the film was his emotional stand in, dropping out of school and beginning a life of crime.<\/p>\n
I woke up early one morning, brewed some coffee, and fired up the player. The \u201cfilm class dread\u201d was gone within minutes. This wasn\u2019t just a history lesson, but a deeply universal story about how a society alienates its young. I saw an influence that cast a shadow over every \u201cmisfit teenager\u201d movie that I had ever seen. I also recognized that \u201cThe 400 Blows\u201d was a much richer exploration of the material. This was no impossible love interest, or sickening pop music video.<\/p>\n
Another example: The next stop on the list was John Cassavetes\u2019 \u201cA Woman Under the Influence.\u201d I consulted my film guides, and they kindly informed me this was an example of \u201cearly American Independent Cinema.\u201d \u201cIndie Film\u201d has become both a buzz word and its own industry within my life time. That is because the dream of most young filmmakers is to get noticed at Sundance.<\/p>\n
What does an \u201cindie film\u201d look like when it\u2019s not made to impress (i.e., before Sundance)? A movie that exists just to tell a simple story about flawed human beings? I would point you in the direction of \u201cA Woman Under the Influence.\u201d The movie focuses on a functionally crazy woman (played by Gena Rowlands) who attempts to raise her family. I think a more contemporary audience would diagnose her behavior as \u201cbipolar.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no concession to well framed shots, or tidy scene resolutions.There were some scenes that were so intense they were almost unwatchable, aided by the same \u201clife as it happens\u201d method that Cassavetes always had.<\/p>\n
\u201cA Woman Under the Influence\u201d pointed to the fact that you can shoot an entire film on location. You don\u2019t need to populate your screenplay with set pieces, or worry about answering every question the audience has. I can only imagine that was how the original audience for the film received it.<\/p>\n
A few other examples: \u201cBlack Christmas\u201d is considered to be one of the prototypical \u201cslasher\u201d films. The techniques it uses to scare you still work, and are yet oddly familiar to any horror fan (after many years of being imitated).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Dirty Dozen\u201d set up the formula for the cinematic convention of male bonding under intense duress. We wouldn\u2019t have everything from the \u201cLethal Weapon\u201d movies to \u201cReservoir Dogs\u201d without it. The formula still works, and I was amazed about how much I cared about the rapists and murderers completing their mission. (All of my favorites died at the end, by the way.)<\/p>\n
I would say that this was less of a learning process, and more of a reinvention of myself. By studying the roots of film, I was able to rediscover why film excites me so much to begin with. This has everything to do with the directness and intimacy of what we call \u201cwatching a movie.\u201d The real reason we do this is to find a story, a performance, or a subject matter that resonates with us deeply.<\/p>\n
The filmmakers behind the classics I sought out understood this. Their fine example has been left behind for the rest of us to follow.<\/p>\n
That said, I still haven\u2019t seen \u201cBirth of a Nation.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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